COLUMN: No laws will stop determined people who are intent on doing dreadful things

By Fred A. Clemmer Jr.

Published: Wednesday, January 30, 2013 at 09:32 PM.

While Brandon Todd is correct in a number of points in his letter for more gun control, he is wrong in several points.

His statement that more gun control laws in countries like England have reduced gun violence - Dr. John Lott’s studies have shown that it does not in fact accomplish this goal. In actual fact, crimes against unarmed citizens have increased dramatically in the countries that have adopted these laws and restricted guns.

The NRA is correct in that if there is a trained individual who has a firearm available, this will help protect innocent students from crazy people like Lanza. Enforce your existing gun laws. You must have trained responsible people that are willing and able to help protect the innocent. Gun-free zones like in the movie theater shooter case in Colorado and the Connecticut school shootings are part of the problem. If it is known that there are firearms protecting the innocents then the madmen do not go there. The madmen are rational in their choice of targets and where they go. My point is that no laws will stop determined people who are intent on doing dreadful things.

Todd’s statement that modern fully automatic weapons will shoot 300 rounds per minute is incorrect. Fully automatic weapons (one trigger press fires many bullets) are used by the military and special weapons law enforcement. These autos have been used by paramilitary and law enforcement members exclusively and have been essentially outlawed from public ownership since 1934. Criminals and gang members do have full autos. These groups do not care about any gun control laws. Semi-automatic firearms (one trigger press fires one bullet) are what have been exclusively used in the gun violence of which he is speaking.

Shotguns, hunting rifles, and self-reloading (semi-auto) pistols and revolvers are what are lawfully owned by responsible citizens. New gun control laws only affect the lawful citizen, not criminals or the insane. In my case I carry (lawfully) a semi-auto pistol around with me because I cannot carry an armed policeman everywhere l go.

The Feinstein gun control bill is especially harsh on lawful citizens who own semi-auto weapons. The proposed bill mandates that in order to keep your existing weapons you must be fingerprinted, photographed and each firearm’s serial number will be matched to your physical address. In addition, to lawfully possess your existing firearm you now be assessed a mandatory $200 tax per each firearm you lawfully already own.

Also, you will not be permitted to pass your existing firearm to whoever you wish to have it. lt will be destroyed by U.S. Feds after your passing. This is not just an assault weapons ban or limits on magazine capacity ban. Your constitutionally guaranteed Second Amendments are being by trampled by this travesty of a bill introduced by a hypocritical gun control zealot with zero common sense aided by lap dog media that are championing the surrender of your rights to lawfully own semi-auto firearms.

While Brandon Todd is correct in a number of points in his letter for more gun control, he is wrong in several points.

His statement that more gun control laws in countries like England have reduced gun violence - Dr. John Lott’s studies have shown that it does not in fact accomplish this goal. In actual fact, crimes against unarmed citizens have increased dramatically in the countries that have adopted these laws and restricted guns.

The NRA is correct in that if there is a trained individual who has a firearm available, this will help protect innocent students from crazy people like Lanza. Enforce your existing gun laws. You must have trained responsible people that are willing and able to help protect the innocent. Gun-free zones like in the movie theater shooter case in Colorado and the Connecticut school shootings are part of the problem. If it is known that there are firearms protecting the innocents then the madmen do not go there. The madmen are rational in their choice of targets and where they go. My point is that no laws will stop determined people who are intent on doing dreadful things.

Todd’s statement that modern fully automatic weapons will shoot 300 rounds per minute is incorrect. Fully automatic weapons (one trigger press fires many bullets) are used by the military and special weapons law enforcement. These autos have been used by paramilitary and law enforcement members exclusively and have been essentially outlawed from public ownership since 1934. Criminals and gang members do have full autos. These groups do not care about any gun control laws. Semi-automatic firearms (one trigger press fires one bullet) are what have been exclusively used in the gun violence of which he is speaking.

Shotguns, hunting rifles, and self-reloading (semi-auto) pistols and revolvers are what are lawfully owned by responsible citizens. New gun control laws only affect the lawful citizen, not criminals or the insane. In my case I carry (lawfully) a semi-auto pistol around with me because I cannot carry an armed policeman everywhere l go.

The Feinstein gun control bill is especially harsh on lawful citizens who own semi-auto weapons. The proposed bill mandates that in order to keep your existing weapons you must be fingerprinted, photographed and each firearm’s serial number will be matched to your physical address. In addition, to lawfully possess your existing firearm you now be assessed a mandatory $200 tax per each firearm you lawfully already own.

Also, you will not be permitted to pass your existing firearm to whoever you wish to have it. lt will be destroyed by U.S. Feds after your passing. This is not just an assault weapons ban or limits on magazine capacity ban. Your constitutionally guaranteed Second Amendments are being by trampled by this travesty of a bill introduced by a hypocritical gun control zealot with zero common sense aided by lap dog media that are championing the surrender of your rights to lawfully own semi-auto firearms.

This is no more than a power grab/ money grab by unscrupulous politicians not statesmen who want their people to be controlled so they can keep the money flowing to elites that think they know what is best for the governed/controlled people.

Ben Franklin said it best when he said “Those who are willing to trade their freedom (in exchange for a temporary measure of) security will have neither.”

Thomas Jefferson said: “No free man shall ever be forbidden the use of arms. The strongest reason for the people to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.”

As Brandon Todd said, you should be praying a lot. Contact your elected officials and demand that they stop this sham of a bill that shamefully exploits real gun violence tragedies to promote their hidden agendas. As Obama’s former Chief of Staff Emanuel who is now the mayor/crime boss in charge of the city of Chicago (which has an astronomically high hand gun murder rate and is one of the most heavily gun-controlled cities) says: “Never let a good crisis go to waste.”

For any citizen who wants to learn more about guns and responsible ownership, who does not feel secure now, l can put you in contact with people who are the “real deal” and who know how to train you to use firearms safely and responsibly.